The annual Montana Youth in Transition conference will be held in Helena November 14-16. The conference will feature exciting keynote presenters, as well as workshops covering topics important to a successful transition from high school into adulthood. 

The 55^th annual Montana Association for Rehabilitation Conference will be held October 24-26, 2012 at the Holiday Inn in West Yellowstone. Sponsorship applications, exhibitor sheets, presenter forms, scholarship applications, registration forms and other materials are available on the MAR website. You may also register by email to torcutt@mt.gov. Call 1-888-279-7531 for more information.

On August 23, 2012, the National Council on Disability (NCD), an independent federal agency, released a report calling for a six-year phase-out of section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. This provision allows employers to receive a certificate from the U.S. Department of Labor to pay less than federal minimum wage to workers with disabilities for work performed. "The 14(c) program should be phased-out gradually as part of a systems change effort that enhances existing resources and creates new mechanisms for supporting individuals in obtaining integrated employment and other non-work services," writes Jonathan Young, chairman of the NCD, in a letter to the president that accompanies the report. "NCD recommends a phase-out of the 14(c) program rather than immediate repeal because those who have been in the program for many years need time to transition to a supported employment environment."

The NCD report includes a number of specific recommendations addressing such areas as:

• Congressional reauthorization, development and implementation of an expanded, integrated benefits planning and assistance program
• Coordination and expansion of peer support efforts to both families and individuals with intellectual developmental disabilities transitioning from the 14(c) programs to integrated employment
• Alignment of state reimbursement rates to providers to reflect a bias in favor of integrated settings
• Exploration of performance-based payment systems for employment supports
• Expansion of access to customized employment and job carving services
• Development of a strong working collaboration between the state Vocational Rehabilitation agency, ID/DD service-provision agency and State Education Authority
• Rulemaking by the Department of Education to prohibit school districts from writing IEP goals that will place students in settings paying a subminimum wage
• Prohibition on using sheltered workshops for transition activities or for skill assessments completed during a public school transition program
• Disallowance of work in a sheltered workshop or for subminimum wage as a successful placement when collecting data about post-school outcomes  

During the site visits conducted to prepare the report, NCD identified two key indicators that an individual was more likely to choose competitive employment. The first indicator was age - younger people with disabilities were more likely to advocate for employment at or above the minimum wage. The second indicator was whether or not they came from an inclusive K-12 school environment. Individuals who had access to the general curriculum and integrated classrooms were more likely to say they wanted integrated employment (and their parents were more likely to support this desire).

Another important finding from the site visits was that "an individual's desire to work at all, and at what wage, was influenced heavily by the expectations that were set for that individual beginning in childhood and all the way through school. Participation in inclusive settings should include both academic work and opportunities to take on their share of classroom chores and responsibilities along with their nondisabled peers. It is important to note, however, it is not helpful for students with disabilities to be assigned chores and work in place of academics, nor be assigned work and chores not typically assigned to non-disabled peers. All of this will lead to an expectation that meaningful work in an inclusive environment is possible and part of each student's future" (p.19).

Postsecondary education is still a worthwhile investment. The College Advantage: Weathering the Economic Storm, a study recently released by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, shows that in 2012, "seven percent of graduates with a bachelor degree or better are still unemployed and another 14 percent are underemployed in jobs beneath their skill levels. By comparison, the unemployment rate for new high school graduates is 24 percent and 42 percent of those individuals are underemployed." 

The August 23, 2012 NCWD/Youth blog Entering the Real World: Transitioning from College to the Workforce provides guidance to youth making the transition from college into employment.

The August 2012 Think College E-News is now available.

In July 2012, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued the report Students with Disabilities: Better Federal Coordination Could Lessen Challenges in the Transition from High School [PDF]. GAO found that after high school, young adults must apply and establish eligibility for programs administered by multiple federal agencies. There is often poor coordination between these agencies, making it difficult for young people and their families to navigate the system, and they may face delays in service and waiting lists if programs are full. Students and their families may lack sufficient information or awareness of the options available after high school, and they may leave high school inadequately prepared for the transition due, in part, to limited opportunities to engage in work experiences and receive vocational and life skills training while in school. GAO recommends that Education, HHS, Labor, and SSA "develop an interagency transition strategy that addresses (1) operating toward common outcome goals for transitioning youth; (2) increasing awareness of available transition services; and (3) assessing the effectiveness of their coordination efforts."